Curtain-fixture.



No. 650,328. Patented May 22, |900. H. E *KEELEFL CURTAIN FIXTURE.

(Application filed Jan. 24, 1900. y.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. KEELER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CURTAlN- FIXTU R.

SPECIFICATION forming* part of Letters Patent NO. 650,328, dated May 22, 1900. Application filed January 24,v 1900. Serial No. 2,614. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. KEELER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Curtain-Fixture, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

The invention relates to spring-roller curtains for use on railroad passenger-cars,street cars, and other vehicles or places; and one object is to provide a new and improved c urtain-xture arranged to hold a curtain or shade at all times at the desired elevation against the pull of the sprin g in the roller, the lower end of, the curtain standing in a horizontal plane to permit of readily manipulating the curtain for conveniently raising or lowering it without danger of binding or uneven winding up or unwinding from the roller.

A further object is to permit of conveniently and readily adj usting the flexible guide for the curtain or shade to take up the slack atany time.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding paris in all the views.

Figure lis a front elevation of the improvement as applied and with parts of the window-frame and the shade in section. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the tightening device for the flexible guide. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the saine on the line 3 3 in Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same on the line 4 4 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional plan view of the improvement on the line 5 5 in Fig. 1.

A spring-roller A is journaled in the usual manner at the upper portion of the sides B B of the window-frame, and on said roller winds or unwinds a curtain or shade C, having a tube or sheath C in its lower edge, with suitable guide-heads C2 at the ends of the tube to permit the flexible guide D to readily enter and pass through the tube from either end.

The flexible guide D consists of an endless cord, tape, band, chain, or cable and is doubled up and passes over supports E E', arranged in a groove B2 in the window-frame side B, near the upper and lower ends thereof, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1, said guide then passing through the tube or sheath C and in a crossed condition to Jthen extend with its ends in opposite directions in the groove B2, formed in the other side B of the windowframe. The extreme upper end of the ilexible guide at the side B is engaged and held by an adjusting device F for taking up the slack in the flexible guide, while the extreme lower end of the Iiexible guide in the groove B3 is secured to a suitable fastening means G, attached to the side B at the lower end thereof. If desired, the device G may be the same as the device F, and the latter is preferably of the construction shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

The adjusting device F is provided with a casing F', fastened by screws or other means yto the side B', and in the front of the casing is journaled a shaft F2, on which winds the.

upper end of the flexible guide D, as is plainly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, said exible guide being preferably secured with its extreme end in an aperture in the shaft F2. 4 The outer end of the shaft F2 is formed with a head F2, preferably having a slot for the application of a screw-driver or other tool to turn the shaft F2, so as to wind up the flexible guide and take up any existing slack. On the shaft F2 and preferably inside of the casing is arranged a polygonal wheel F4, engaged at opposite sides by flat springs F5, extending lengthwise of the casing and held at their ends in lugs F, carried by the casing F. Now it will be seen that the springs F5 for engaging the flat face of the polygonal wheel F4 hold the latter, and consequently the shaft F2, against turning; but when al tool is applied on the head F3 then the shaft F2 can be turned against the tension of the springs F5 to wind up the flexible guide until all the slack is ta ken out of the guide.

It is understood that the curtain or shade C is frictionally held against the pull of the spring in the shade-roller A by the frictional contact of the exible guide with the head C2 of the tube or sheath C in the lower edge of the shade or curtain C, and as the said fiexible guide has a uniform tension throughout guide can be readily taken up uniformlythroughout the entirelength of the flexible guide. This is a very essential feature of the invention, as it is well known shat such slack in the flexible guide continually arises from the natural tendency of the cord to stretch and lose its proper tension after being in use a short time. It will also be seen that by doubling the flexible guide and passing it over the supports E E at one side of the window-casing and then extending the flexible guide through the tube and sheath in the curtain it is not necessary to pass the said flexible guide from one side of the windowframe to the other, except at, the tube or sheath, as shown and described. The supports E E may be in the form of eyes, pulleys, or the like, vand hence l do not limit myself to any particular construction.

If desired, the inner portion of the flexible guide extending between the supports E E may be concealed by a covering-strip H, as

` shownv at the left in Fig. l and in Fig. 5, the

said covering-strip being preferably of wood; but other suitable material may be used and snugly fitted in the groove B2, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patenting in combination, a spring-actuated curtain` rollerto which one end of the curtain is attached, the other end of the curtain being hollow, supports on the upper and lower ends of one side of the window-casing, and a continuous flexible guide having a doubled-up portion extending loosely over the said sup- 1. A curtain-holding mechanism, comprisports and then passing through and crossing in said hollow edge of 'the curtain, the end strands of the said guide extending in opposite directions and the extreme ends being attached to the upper and lower parts of the other side of the window-casing.

2. A curtain-holding mechanism, comprising in combination a spring-actuated curtainroller to which the upper end of the curtain is secured, the lower end of the curtain being hollow, a single continuous flexible guide for the said curtain, means for securing the ends Y ofthe guideat one side of the window-casing at the upper and lower ends thereof, and supports for the exible guide and held on the upper and lower ends of the other side of the window-casing, said guide having a doubled portion extending loosely over the said supports and then passing through and crossing in the said lower hollow end of the curtain, the end strands extending in opposite directions to the said fastening means.

3. A curtain-holding mechanism, comprising in combination a spring-actu ated curtainroller to which the upper end of the curtain is secured, the lower end of the curtain being hollow, a single continuous flexible guide for the said curtain, means for securing the ends of the guide at one side of the window-casing at the upper and lower ends thereof, and supports for the flexible guide held on the upper and lower ends of the other side of the window-casing, said guide having'a doubled portion extending loosely over the said supports y and then passing through and crossing in the said lower hollow end of the curtain, the end strands extending in opposite directions to the said fastening means, the latter being provided with mechanism for taking up the slack in the said flexible guide.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence ofA two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT E. KEELER.Y

Witnesses THEO. G. lilosrnn, EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL. 

